If for Any Reason (A Nantucket Love Story)

Do yourself a favor and read this. It is such a story of growing up and accepting life with all its ups and down, learning to believe in yourself and others. There is great character growth and development. It is a love story but also a story of forgiveness and what happens to us when we forgive.

Overall I think this was a cute story. I felt like I had a harder time getting into it but I was struggling with a bad reading slump not long ago so it's quite possible it's related to that. After I got into the story, it started to flow much better. There were some definite twists and turns throughout as well as some raw emotion. Emily had some trauma she needed to confront and it wasn't always pretty for her or those who loved her. I would recommend this book.

If For Any Reason is written beautifully. The characters and the plot grows as the story unfolds. This was a book that I didn’t want to put down! I look forward to the next book in the series.

I'd love to say it's an HEA, but it never gets that far. I had to settle for the way the Author ended it. It IS worth reading, even if you do have to ignore all of the over-thinking done by the main characters.

“If For Any Reason”, I loved this title and the way it played into the story. When I first heard it, it sounded a bit strange but I didn’t think much about it. Then as the story of this book started to unfold it made complete sense and I loved it.Courtney Walsh knows how to put her characters through the hard things in life and she writes in such a beautiful way that their pain, struggles, and emotions become yours. I always connect with her characters in a way that I don’t often do and it’s honestly beautiful. This was definitely the case with Emily and Hollis. Emily was such a broken character, she had lost so much and built so many walls and my heart honestly broke for her. But I loved watching her journey to healing and finding where she belonged. And Hollis, while it was his own choices that led him to where he was he’s deep remorse and dedication to being better was enough to endear him to me. I also loved the quiet way he broke down Emily’s walls and showed her unconditional love. I really enjoyed the way their relationship played out and how real they were able to be with each other.Jolie was a sweet kid and the author did a great job of writing an authentic preteen who was still likable! I also loved Hollis’s family!The setting of this story was beautiful and the escape to Nantucket was exactly what I needed on these dreary winter days!If you like fiction with a lot of heart, tender romance, and emotions that reach deep then I cannot recommend this book enough!I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

If For Any Reason is one of those books that is just so good it just about leaves you breathless.This story is creatively written, seamlessly blending together a dual timeline story that also includes a third aspect to it. The way these three pieces work together is both impressive and extremely effective.The present-day story of Emily and her struggle to find herself in the midst of a life that hasn’t gone exactly as she expected is woven together with the past story of her mom’s life as a teenager. Mingled in with both these stories are letters Emily’s mother wrote to Emily when she was a young girl, and these letters shed a great deal of light onto both storylines. In addition to these three layers of storylines working together, there is also a striking synergy among the characters. The dynamic between the characters, how they work together and yet push each other apart, works almost like another “layer” to the story. The overall effect is amazing. 

I am a huge fan of the author and read this book as soon as it was released. I jumped at the chance to post a review, and actually just read the story again so it would be fresh in my mind as I wrote this review. It was a joy to get to read this again- While the story held my interest even as I read it for a second time, it also didn’t stress me out, which makes it the perfect escape for these days when everything in the world seems turned upside down. I highly recommend this book, which will very likely end up as one of my most favorite reads of the year!

Dear reader friend,I'm writing this to you not even 24 hours after finishing IF FOR ANY REASON and I have so many thoughts about it. Mainly I'm wondering why this beautiful story had to end and how could Courtney Walsh write something so perfectly?This is a story about secrets and the past and fear and faith and family and home. It was a moving story of hurt and hope and love. It wasn't easy to read in some places because it really hit home for me. But in the end of all that difficulty, this story was worth every tear shed while reading it.I don't think I've ever read a book that hit as close to home as this one. I don't think I've ever read a book with a message that needs to be communicated more than this one.Life is hard and full of fear and it's so, so easy to run from that fear and protect ourselves from the pain. But when we walk through that pain and fear, there is beauty like never before on the other side. The pain in life is worth it because of the beauty on the other side. That is one of the many things IF FOR ANY REASON taught me. This book will forever have a place in my heart ❤️And, readers, if for any reason you come across this book and get a chance to read it, please do so! I have a feeling you won't regret it.Love,Kathryn

Courtney has such a wonderful way of drawing you into the story. The streets of Nantucket come alive through Emily’s eyes as she returns to the island after a long absence to renovate and sell her family summer home. An unexpected encounter with her childhood friend ends up changing her initial plans and Emily finds herself producing the children’s summer production.Courtney is such a talented author and just gets better and better with each book she releases! This is a fantastic read!!

It was a truly marvelous journey. Apart from it raising all manner of past hurts, it was a great read with great characters, lots of depth, and plenty of lessons and great outcomes. Definitely recommend it if you want a book with depth.